False Alarm
by BarbedWire
Summary: Ron and Hermione are about to have their first baby...or so they thought. Semi-pointless Ron and Hermione fluffiness.


**Author's Note: Hiya everyone!  
>I don't own Harry Potter, I'm sure you all find that shocking. JK Rowling is the genius behind that amazingness.<br>I dedicate this to TheHaloFreak, for not disowning me for writing it. And in her honor, I am going to be henceforth refering to all 'fluff' that I write as 'Pillowy Softness'. So that's what this is, pillowy softness of the Ron and Hermione variety.  
>This is structured as a oneshot, and I can't quite figure out how to change that without loosing my favoirte parts, but I am actually thinking of writing a multi-chaptered story around Ron and Hermione having their first baby. It's been done before, I know, but not generally from Ron's point of view and he's the point of view I am most comfortable with. So if anyone wants to tell me thats a horrible idea, and I shouldn't write a multi-chaptered story with the same basic premiss as this oneshot, maybe even using this oneshot as an opening chapter, you'll just have to leave me a review won't you?<br>Pancakes, and enjoy!**

"Ron! Ron!"

He was standing in an empty forest, rain soaking into his clothes. He heard her calling after him, and a part of him longed to turn around and go back to her, but another, more dominant part of him refused. _She made her choice, _it repeated over and over in his head. _She chose him._ Letting his anger fill him, he turned on the spot-

With a muffled thump he landed, tangled in the sheet on the floor beside the bed. He groped on the bedside table above his head for his wand.

"Whas hapning?"

"Ron, it's coming!" it took a moment for his brain to shake off the last vestiges of sleep and realize **what **was coming.

"The-the baby?"

"Yes Ron, what else?" if he was not in a state of near panic he would have been tempted to smile at how she could still manage to take the 'honestly Ronald' tone with him in a time as distressing as this.

"Right, so we ummm…" his mind had gone numb, and he was left flailing. They had been expecting this, they had a plan. A plan they'd rehearsed, a plan he had repeated to himself every night before falling asleep. It was a plan that even Hermione was sure about, and since nearly every plan they had ever come up with had fallen completely apart she was seldom sure about any plan anymore. Unfortunately, Ron had completely and totally forgotten this brilliant plan.

"We went through this Ronald!"

"Yeah, I know, I know," he said pulling himself off the floor and untangling himself from the sheet. He flipped on the light and struggled to recall any part of the plan. He was pretty sure it involved him getting dressed, yeah, that was in it. He could do that.

"Where are my pants?" he asked, attempting to stifle a yawn.

"Ron! You're supposed to know this! How am I supposed to do this if you don't even remember what the plan is?" having located his pants, Ron turned to face his wife as he struggled into them. She was clutching the bag they had packed a week before and her face looked close to tears. He wrapped his arms around her quickly.

"It'll be alright, I promise," he felt her nod into his shoulder. "Just umm, get me started on the plan and I'll be all set."

Under normal circumstances he felt certain that that last remark would have earned him his favorite reluctant half smile, but this wasn't a normal circumstance and he supposed that her response was the best he could hope for.

"Owl Ginny and Harry"

"Right." He kissed her cheek. "I'm all good now." He pulled the nearest t-shirt over his head, and started down the stairs.

He found Pig buzzing excitedly around the kitchen.

"C'mere, you bloody git," he said to the tiny owl as he zoomed towards him. He grabbed the letter Hermione had prepared for his best friend and sister days ago, and attached it to Pig's small leg. "Deliver this to Harry and Ginny, quickly," he instructed. Pig hooted once happily, then flew out the open kitchen window.

As soon as Pig disappeared from view in the darkness outside, he heard Hermione coming down the stairs. He met her at the bottom and took the bag from her.

"We got everything?" he asked as Hermione took his hand.

"I think so. Did you send the letter?"

"Yep. So I guess if you're ready." She nodded, he took a deep breath and turned on the spot. After a moment of an unpleasant squeezing sensation, they emerged before a desk in the spotlessly clean hallway of St. Mungo's.

"Can I help you?" inquired the woman behind the desk. Ron felt that it was part of his duty to tell her who they were, and why they were there, but in the short moment it took for him to regain his bearings after the apparation, Hermione had already answered.

"Hermione Weasley and I'm in labor," she said it so calm, so matter-of-factly. It was astounding, perhaps it was best he had not answered, knowing him, he might have screamed 'she's having a bloody baby!'.

"Right this way," said the woman, leaving her desk and starting down the hallway. She showed them to a small room with an empty bed inside. "A Healer will be right with you." She turned to Ron, "If you could just step out for a moment sir, while your wife gets changed."

Ron nodded, and kissed Hermione quickly, "Will you be alright?"

She smiled, a very small smile marred by discomfort, "Of course I will, Ronald."

It was just growing light outside when they apparated back into their sitting room. Without even removing her shoes, Hermione flopped down onto the couch and fingered her still round belly.

"I was so sure," she mumbled, Ron sat down on the floor beside her.

"S'alright." He said laying his head against her shoulder.

"But I woke everyone up."

"No one is mad. Well maybe Harry and Ginny, but that's just because they've gone and had two of the things and they _never_ get to sleep anymore." Hermione smiled slightly at his attempt at humor.

"It's never going to come is it?" she pulled a pillow under her had dejectedly.

Ron took her hand, "Course it will. It is related to me after all, and you know what that means?"

"It will wait until it is absolutely necessary to do anything?" Ron suppressed a laugh.

"I was going to say it'll wait until it's good and ready, but I suppose yours is right too."

There was a short pause before Hermione said, "I hope it's like you."

"I can't see why you'd want it to be anything like a pouty, stupid, git." Ron replied, but his tone was light and he smiled as he closed his eyes against her shoulder. He simply sat there, listening to her breathing for several minutes before he became aware that he was drifting off to sleep. That would have been a rather pleasant thought, had he not been aware of how late it was getting.

Groggily, he opened his eyes and looked down at the watch he had received on his 17th birthday. 6:56. Well that bloody figured he grumbled to himself as he stood up off the floor. He looked at Hermione; she seemed to have fallen asleep. She looked so peaceful; he did not want to wake her. Instead he bent over her quickly and kissed her forehead.

"Where are you going?" she stirred sleepily and reached for his hand.

"Work," he replied, sorry to have woken her.

"Oh Ron, I'm so sorry I ruined your whole night's sleep when you had to go to work,"

"Don't worry about it. If Harry doesn't show up, then I can just sleep at my desk all day."

His weak humor didn't seem to have alleviated her guilt, "I love you Ron." She let go of his hand.

"I love you too. Both of you." He patted her stomach gently, and kissed her cheek quickly.

Smiling to himself, he pulled his jacket back on, and stepped away from the couch. He turned quickly on the spot and with a pop disappeared from his sitting room. He emerged a moment later in his office. He hung his coat on the hook beside the door and sat down; thinking to himself that it really was just as well that it had been a false alarm. Now at least he would have another shot, and when it was time, he would keep his cool. No more falling out of bed and struggling to put on his pants nope, next time he would know just what he was doing.

"First things first," he said to himself, stifling a yawn. "Let's memorize that plan again." ..


End file.
